December 6, 2022

CVS Sued For Misuse of Donations

A recent tweet alleges that CVS is being sued for misuse of donations. I realize this isn’t beauty but I think a lot of places we shop including drugstores contain makeup and beauty essentials and are notorious for asking for donations for various organizations and if you’re anything at all like me you might feel a sense of guilty saying, “No thank you, I don’t want to donate at this time!” There isn’t a single place I can go that isn’t asking me for money. TJMaxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods, CVS, etc….”Do you want to donate to this? Do you want to round off your purchase for a donation?” It’s tough for me as I always feel judged when I say no, thanks. And likely the reason I am saying no is that I already donated to all these organizations in different stores a few days before because I can never just say no. I’m pretty particular about organizations I donate to as I like to do proper research before I actually donate. Still, my downfall is going to TJMaxx and being asked for money and saying yeah, yeah sure go ahead and round it off or go ahead and take three dollars. Plus Sales associates are aggressive and cutthroat regarding donations and force-feeding a credit card application on you.

But both you and I might want to rethink donations after reading this post. Allegedly in May, a New York resident filed a class-action complaint, accusing CVS of deceptive fundraising in a campaign it held for the American Diabetes Association. According to reports the plaintiff says, CVS did not forward donations to the diabetes association but applied the donations toward a legally binding $10 million obligation CVS made to the diabetes association. This November, a lawyer for CVS filed a motion to dismiss the case.

A tweet by @emmavaninwegen states that the donations have never been forwarded and instead reimburse CVS for a legally binding obligation of $10M that was promised earlier. I think most of us realize bigger corporations asking us for money to donate is already a little shady but if you’re like me you may feel a bit of guilt saying no to such a donation. There are also times you’re sort of bullied into it by sales reps who can be very, very pushy. Hearing this today sort of reminded me of the fact that the organizations I do support with my donations are way better than anything CVS or any other bigger corporation is doing.

As more information becomes available about the case I’ll post it.

What do you think of this? It actually comes as no surprise to me. I think we all realize there’s a good deal of shadiness involved with corps that collect donations!

Do share!

13 Comments

You may also enjoy

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • Kimmwc03

    That’s terrible! I guess I will stop rounding up at CVS now. I hope Macy’s and a lot of other places I shop are actually donating the money to the charities they claim they are going.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m always a little skeptical about these things but donate anyway because I feel a little guilty not doing so. But really, best bet, do your own research and donate to causes you find worthy! Don’t do it through these big corps!

  • kjh

    Dollar Tree has military kids as their ‘charity,’ prob bec corporate is in Chesapeake, VA. (Yeah, where the Walmart shooting was. And one of the Norfolk military complex towns. ) Makes sense. For back-to-school and Christmas. There are pix, so I rather believe that they do it. But, they add a cheapo backpack, and the gifts are all from the customers. It’s really a driver of sales and such bullshit. I think there is a lot of shady in all donations theoretically from a big Corp. Anybody want to tell me why they round up at my weed store, lol?

  • Dee

    We have organizations that we support and donate to so I very rarely “round up” or donate when I’m checking out somewhere.

    • Isabella Muse

      Likewise but I always feel guilty saying no so I end up giving a few bucks!

  • Jane E Karr

    I have learned, in my old age, to just say no. I really don’t give a rat’s ass what they think and if they get pushy I always say, wouldn’t it be a shame for you to be the reason that I don’t shop here anymore. What is your name, by the way. I, like you, would have never done this in my youth but I am sick and tired of people. Most people. Like pushy salespeople.

    • Isabella Muse

      haha! I haven’t quite reached that stage yet but I’m getting there!

  • Mel

    It happens a lot more often than you think and this is the just of it from every news article I’ve seen—
    “ In other words, it appears customers unknowingly subsidized CVS’s charity promises.” Uh-oh ethics and tax deductible rules with the IRS.
    Charity 101-
    If you aren’t sure where the money is going check Charity Navigator keep in mind it isn’t completely updated because of backlogging.
    Besides Charity Navigator, google what the organizations you want to donate to are doing.
    I tend to stay more local, because I know that money is going back into my community based on the non profits I picked. That’s my two cents as someone who works in this world.

  • Brandy

    Having worked in a store that required us to ask customers if they would like to donate to a cause or charity, I can assure you there’s no judgement if you don’t wish to donate. My store would change charities to donate to on a monthly basis. It was just another question we were required to ask to get through the transaction. So don’t feel bad for saying no. People can help out the community in other ways besides donations as well.

    • Isabella Muse

      I always feel guilty but that’s on me. And absolutely you can! I volunteer at a local animal shelter but there are many, many ways to improve upon your own community with works of charity and help for those in need!

  • Ann Marie

    I used to give in to this sort of thing but stopped a long time ago. I give to charity a lot myself, but why should I help a corporation buff its public image with my money? If they are really charitable, they should use their own profits for the gift. Pressure from salespeople is a huge turnoff for me also.

  • Lucy

    I work in fundraising, and listen to me when I say: do NOT give to these corporate donation/rounding up programs, at any store. Most of them are scams like this one at CVS that companies use to improve their corporate image. These donations usually don’t go to the organizations or causes that they claim to and are used to fulfill unrelated contractual obligations, like in this case, or to cover the admin costs of administering this “giving” program. Please, please just give to orgs directly. These things are scams and create problems for the orgs I work with.